We get to train against the beautiful backdrop of Ithaca, NY.
Jackie Katzman/ Business Insider

Play mental games with yourself

"I tell myself, 'It's only x minutes out and x minutes back, that's it!' So if it were a 40 minute run, I'd plug in 20 for the x's. It makes it seem like two short runs in my head and much more manageable." — A.K.

"The sooner you start, the sooner you finish." — M.L.

"I remind myself that the run is only x minutes out of 24 hours in a day." — J.K.

"Sometimes I tell myself that I'll do a way shorter run than I was supposed to do/was planning to do. Once I start, I always end up doing the full thing, but it tricks me into putting on my shoes and getting out the door!" — K.O.

"Make going running more exciting by exploring a new route. Framing it as an adventure vs. a chore makes it easier to get started." - J.E.

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The team runs an interval workout.
Jackie Katzman/ Business Insider

Run in the morning

"If I can, I try and run before work in the morning. I would hate to wake up early to an alarm for no reason. This alone is great motivation." — name withheld

"If I run in the morning I don't even think about it. I just do it." — J.K.

"Running before work is nice because then I have so many free hours later in the day!" — name withheld

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Members of the team complete a hill workout last fall.
Jackie Katzman/ Business Insider

Focus on the future benefits

"I like to think of how I would feel about myself months down the road if I didn't put in the effort today."— D.C.

"I remind myself that the feeling of accomplishment and bliss after a run will far outweigh any pre-run dread. I also like to think about the reasons why I run. I think about all my teammates who are also training for cross-country season in places around the country and that makes me want to get out there, too!" — O.Y.

"I promise myself a really good snack if I go running, because I love food." — R.I.

"I just tell myself that no matter how bad I feel rolling out of bed, I know I will feel 100 times better after I conquer my run." — C.M.

"A run provides time to explore the beautiful world around me, reflect on important things, catch up with friends, and practice overcoming challenges. If I can get all that in as little as 30 minutes, is there really anything I'd rather do? Oftentimes not." — K.S.

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A couple of our assistant coaches run in the Ithaca Plantations.
Genna Hartung/ Instagram

Be thankful for the ability to be able to run at all

"As someone who has been injured, I remember how much I missed running when I was unable to run." — O.Y.

"I think about times when I have been injured and unable to run and how unhappy I was. I remind myself that running is a privilege and that they are so many people who aren't able to do it." — R.I.

"I think about the people who physically can't run who would probably give anything in the world to be able to run for even just a few minutes. It reminds me how lucky I am to even have the ability to be physically active." — A.B.

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We meet up to run together even when school is not in session.
Courtesy of Ben Potts Photography

Run with other people

"Someone not on a competitive team could sign up for a road race or schedule a run with a friend to help get them out the door." - J.E.